Half-hours with the Highwaymen - Vol 1 Picturesque Biographies and Traditions of the "Knights of the Road"

A vivid portrait of England’s old thoroughfares unfolds, mixing the rise of coaching, the decline of the stage‑coach, and the bustling life of inns that greeted weary travelers. The author weaves together anecdotes, early maps and period illustrations to bring routes such as the Portsmouth, Bath and Great North Roads to life, revealing the social currents that once pulsed along them. Alongside this road‑travel narrative, the book turns its focus to the infamous “knights of the road” – the highwaymen whose daring raids have become legend.

Drawing on contemporary reports, chapbooks and the few surviving confessions, the work separates fact from the romantic myths that have long surrounded figures like Claude Du Vall and Dick Turpin. While the tone remains scholarly, the portrait is lively enough to make listeners feel the clang of coach wheels and the tension of a sudden ambush, offering a nuanced look at a world where gallantry and cruelty often rode side by side.